Roman Holidays
by Anytha84
Summary: "You've got to take the plane at the airport tomorrow morning at six. The conference is in Italy." FitzSimmons are sent to a Sci-Ops conference in Rome and take the chance to get to see the city and sort out some professional doubts between them. Headcanon series. My late birthday present to StarryDreamer01. R&R


-HEAD CANON SERIES-

Soo... This is a bit of a transition story in my headcanon series. It shows a couple of characters that I'll use (or have used) in other shots and introduces a few facts that will tie with other stories.

But, mainly, it's just my attempt to write some FitzSimmons sort-of-fluff in Rome, the city where I live. I hope that I managed to show how beautiful this city is... :)

AND, most important of all, this fic is my very late and belated birthday present to my friend and beta StarryDreamer01! She's an awesome writer and if you should read her stories here on ffnet if you haven't already.

Thanks to Amandajbruce who has betaed this story for me (Another awesome writer whose stories you should read if you haven't!)

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN AGENTS OF SHIELD.

* * *

><p><em>Roman Holiday<em>

"FitzSimmons, Agent Avery wants to see you in his office. ASAP."

The two newly-promoted Level 4 agents looked up from their respective work benches. Their eyes were wide behind their goggles.

"What?" They asked in unison. The administrative agent didn't bat an eye at their bewildered tones.

"Agent Avery," she repeated. "Office. _Now_." And she left, leaving them staring at the empty doorway. Simmons turned to look at her partner.

"Fitz..." She said, a little warning tone in her voice. "If you've gone behind my back and made _another_ request for that bloody monkey assistant..."

"Wha-? No, _no_, I didn't!" He denied, removing his goggles and laying them on his bench. Her eyes narrowed. "I swear, I didn't!"

Simmons huffed, tugging off her goggles.

"Well, let's see why we're called in then..."

He nodded and they both headed out of their lab and down the corridor towards their S.O's office.

-:-

Agent Trent Avery was the one that recruited the two young British geniuses from MIT, offering them the chance to join SHIELD. When he first saw their files, he wondered how the two, barely twenty years old, would be of any use to SHIELD, but quickly changed his mind after seeing them. Their enthusiasm for science and outstanding brilliance was something that he had rarely seen even in the most gifted Sci-Ops agents. He had wondered had how far they'd go if steered in the right way from Sci-Tech and given the right environment to show their potentiality.

They'd both surprised him and gone beyond his wildest expectations.

They had both graduated sooner than anyone -the youngest in the Academy's history- and had immediately joined the Boston Sci-Ops division.

They were the most brilliant duo that he had ever seen; somehow Simmons' biochemistry intermingled seamlessly with Fitz's engineering and they managed to do any job they were asked to do.

The name FitzSimmons echoed throughout the halls of Sci-Tech and Sci-Ops followed by the highest praises.

Almost four years had passed since their first encounter and Agent Avery's opinion hadn't changed on the two young scientists. As they stood in front of him in their matching lab coats, grinning at his praise for their latest mission, he wondered how far they'd go. It was almost unheard of for two agents to advance so quickly through promotions but FitzSimmons were breaking that rule.

At twenty-three, they were the youngest agents within Sci-Ops and already Level 4.

The kids would go far...

"So, FitzSimmons, you've received compliments from the higher ups as well," he said, going through a stack of files, searching for the ones he had to hand them. "Agent Hand was impressed by your tracking device."

"_Victoria_-"

"-_Hand_?"

FitzSimmons had identical awed looks, the sort that kids had when meeting their favorite heroes. Avery had to school his features into a small smile and not chuckle loudly.

He really had to remember that these were, after all, kids...

"Yeah, the woman herself," he said with a nod and the two shared a bright grin. "Anyway, that's not the reason of me calling you here." He drew out two papers and handed them out.

FitzSimmons took them and read quickly.

"A conference about bio-genetics and nanotechnology, Sir?" Simmons asked, looking up from the file.

"Yes, it's an international conference that gathers scientists from the various Sci-Ops divisions in the world. There should be representatives from the Treehouse and the Sandbox as well. I was thinking of sending you two for our division: the odourless scent and tracking device you've created for the last mission was very useful and it's been a bit of the talk among the divisions. Besides-" He smiled from his desk. "I think that you could also make your forensic bots official introduction."

"The DWARFs?" Fitz's eyes widened in surprise and he shared a glance with Simmons.

"Yeah... I thought that sharing your devices with other agents might allow you to understand what scientists really have to do in the field, and perhaps get you to decide whether to take the field assessment or not."

All Sci-Ops agents were offered to take field assessment examinations once they reached Level 4: it wasn't mandatory but it allowed scientists to choose whether to work in the labs or in the field.

Avery watched the emotions flicker through the eyes of the young scientists in front of him: Simmons looked eager, almost hopeful, while Fitz looked uncertain. They instinctively looked at each other and both masked their feelings immediately.

Avery realised that this was probably the first time that he'd seen them out of sync on something. He had noticed Simmons' eagerness to see more, learn more rather than staying in the lab; with her biochem background and with a good training, she would make an excellent medic in a field Team.

Fitz had always seemed more reticent despite the fact that he created devices and weapons that could be useful in the field. He was currently working on a non-lethal gun prototype that could be a great addition to standard field equipment.

He'd rather prefer having them here at Sci-Ops, but he also knew that they could be immensely useful in a team. But... they still had to decide.

He highly doubted that Simmons would leave for the field without Fitz or that the boy would allow it; if they left, they'd leave together. He had seen them at MIT and here at Sci-Ops and knows how close -almost co-dependant- they were. Avery often wondered, being their S.O, if he should worry about their partnership and file a Section 17 report but they had never given him a reason to suspect anything. They were brilliant agents and partners and close friends.

So for now, he was alright with it. Time would tell...

"Anyway..." Avery clapped his hands, startling FitzSimmons from their thoughts. "The conference is tomorrow evening. I know that this is a last minute call but since you're both free from work at the moment, would you go?"

They shared a glance, a quick, silent conversation took place in a minute.

"Of course, Sir," Simmons replied, smiling. "Where will the conference take place?"

"Rome."

"Oh, in Georgia?" Fitz asked. "That will take a few hours-"

"-if we take a flight. Or in Maine?" Simmons added.

"Or-?"

Avery shook his head, holding up a hand, briefly wondering about the fact that the two Brits knew about the different cities of Rome in the US. Why was he even surprised?

"No, no...I didn't explain myself well," he remarked. "You've got to take the plane at the airport tomorrow morning at six. The conference is in Italy."

FitzSimmons stared at him , then smiled widely after sharing another look. The clear enthusiasm on their faces made Avery smile.

-:-

"Fitz, aren't you thrilled to see Rome?"

He looked up from the DWARFs' case perched on the small side table in their living room.

"Well, we really won't have that much time to _see_ Rome..." He commented, slipping Bashful into the case and closing it. "The conference starts at six in the evening and we'll get to the airport around three o'clock. We'll probably have a couple of hours at most to look around the city since we'll be leaving the next morning."

Fitz put the case next to his duffel bag and looked at his partner, sitting in the armchair, tablet in hand while going through some notes that she'd prepared for the conference.

Simmons' eager face wilted a bit and he immediately felt terrible about it. _Why_ did he have to go and be so pragmatic and rational again?

"Look, if we manage to plan things well...," he said slowly, sliding across the sofa closer to the armchair. "We might be able to see a few things."

She looked at him for a moment before smiling and sitting next to him on the sofa. He grinned when she bumped their shoulders together.

"I did some research," she said, showing him her tablet.

"Did you seriously download a guide to Rome?" He asked teasingly and she whacked his arm with her free hand.

"I wanted to be prepared!" She protested, blushing slightly.

Fitz grinned again and nodded, craning his neck to see the tablet's screen and got closer to Simmons' head. He was suddenly enveloped by the scent of lavender and inadvertently took a deep breath.

"So, what did you find out?" He asked, looking at the screen in front of them. The maps app was open, showing them centre of Rome and the browser was open on the page of a posh looking hotel. "Is that where the conference's taking place?"

"Yes...and that's also where we're staying for the night."

"Really?" He looked at her and she turned, hair brushing his jaw, and smiled. Fitz had to remind himself not to stare at this close proximity and smile back. Something was twisting madly in his chest. Thankfully, she didn't notice this.

"We should land at the Leonardo Da Vinci Airport around half past two," she remarked, tapping another window on the tablet. "The hotel's sending cars to pick us up."

"Well… It seems that SHIELD's not cutting back on expenses here…" Fitz nudged her shoulder. "That place looks really expensive."

"It faces…. Piazza Esedra…" Simmons slowly said the Italian words and he grinned seeing how much she cared to pronounce them properly even though she didn't know the language. "That's one of the squares in the centre of Rome…"

"Hmm... then it _is_ expensive," he commented. "Pretty much like booking a room at a hotel in the centre of London."

"Pretty much, yeah..." She nodded at him. "It says that it takes around 30-45 minutes to get there from the airport."

"Oh..." He quickly did the math in his head. "So even if we get to the hotel by half past three at most, we have time until five, half past five at most, to look around?"

Simmons nodded, frowning slightly.

"Right... the conference starts at six and we'll probably be there the whole night," she remarked. "And we have to leave in the morning and get to the airport before ten o'clock."

Fitz could clearly see the disappointment in her eyes and he felt something twist in his gut.

"Hey..." He nudged her shoulder, making her turn towards him. "We'll figure out a way. We might not see everything in Rome but... we'll get to everything that we can."

Simmons stared at him, eyes taking a searching look before she smiled brightly.

"That sounds like a good plan," she said. "Are you done packing?"

"DWARFs are ready and my things are in the bag," he gestured towards the duffel bag in the hall.

Simmons stared at him.

"I hope you didn't cram your suit and shirt in there," she stated, slowly tapping on the tablet. "There's no way you'd find someone to iron your clothes at the hotel."

"Hopefully, people will be more interested in our devices rather than my wrinkled shirt," She snorted.

"Can you imagine that? People have been talking about our work! Higher ranked agents as well."

Simmons looked radiant as she said this and he had to smile at her enthusiasm. He felt quite proud about their new achievements too.

Ever since they had shown that they weren't just two young, newly-graduated Academy cadets and that they knew what they were doing, they had gained some fame within their facility.

The knowledge that they were known throughout the SHIELD's facilities spread around the world was overwhelming...

"The other agents will probably shower us with questions about the Tracker and the scent you created."

"The scent can be replicated," She nudged his shoulder. "I'd like to see them trying to build your device without the blueprints...or trying to understand your design."

He grinned, scratching his neck with his hand at her subtle compliment.

"I doubt they'll be able to create that odourless scent that easily either..."

She grinned at him.

"I've ordered all our notes," She showed him a small folder with a few pieces of paper jutting out. "Just in case someone manages to get us to talk to everyone."

"Good," He was immensely relieved for her knack in preparing in advance. "I'd make a fool of myself trying to talk to people without a script..."

"We should work on something to say about the DWARFs; we're officially showing them outside our lab."

"Do you want to map out a presentation?" He turned to her, pulling out his own tablet from his work bag.

"Sure," she replied and they set to work, each writing down the features and characteristics of their little bots, explaining their mechanics and their forensic usage.

They'd been sitting on the sofa for a while, writing and tapping on their tablets, when Simmons put her device on the table and turned to Fitz. He looked up at her and was surprised to see her staring at him with an uncertain look.

"What's wrong?" He asked, putting his tablet away. He was mostly done anyway...

"Nothing... I was just wondering..." Her hands twisted in her lap. "Have you...decided whether to take the field assessment or not?" She asked softly.

Fitz grimaced and looked away.

He'd been dreading this question for weeks...

Ever since their promotion and Agent Avery's suggestion to take the examination and consider going into the field, Fitz had clammed up whenever Simmons talked about it.

He knew that she wanted to try; he knew that she wanted to go.

She had always been the adventurous one and had mentioned, more than once, that working constantly in the lab, wasn't something that she wanted to do forever.

She wanted to see the world, explore it and discover more about it.

It was such a Jemma Simmons thing to be so..._eager_ towards something so unknown.

But Fitz was not like that.

He liked order and routines and liked to work in their lab with all their equipment.

The field seemed so... unstable.

Unknown.

Dangerous.

He honestly didn't want to leave the security and familiarity that he had here.

He realised that this was the first time that he and Simmons didn't agree on something.

"No," he mumbled, after a moment, turning back to her. "I'm still thinking about it."

"Oh, alright..." She smiled forcibly and moved her hands up to her neck, fingers tangling with the hair on the back.

She was clearly upset or uncomfortable and he hated to be a cause of her discomfort.

But...he couldn't really make this decision without thinking carefully. There were so many variables at play here and it wasn't just the field test itself.

It was the enormity of what passing the test meant: they'd be cleared to be sent to the field. There were other Sci-Ops agents that had taken the test and were, randomly, sent with teams on the field as consultants or assets. He had seen some come back with injuries (minor ones -yes- but still injuries).

He didn't even want to imagine Simmons getting hurt...

And he'd rather not think about himself getting hurt either...

So that brought them to their current impasse. He wanted to be cautious while she wanted to be reckless.

They were at a stalemate and the scales would tip only if one of them gave in.

Currently, neither were going to do that.

"Hey..." He gently bumped his shoulder against hers, making her turn to him. He could clearly see the rush of emotions in her eyes and felt his chest constrict. "I just need some time to think about it."

"Fitz, taking the test doesn't mean-"

"-that we'd be automatically sent to the field, no, I know, but it _would_ mean that we're free to be sent out for any mission if higher ups thinks we're suitable."

She stared at him and nodded.

He wondered if she had really thought about this as much as he was. If they were both cleared to go to the field, they might be separated more than once; scientists were rare in Ops teams and there was usually one at most when necessary.

The possibility of the two of them working together was almost none.

Some hollow feeling claimed his chest at the thought but he quickly brushed it away.

He'd figure it out soon. They'd work it out.

As he watched her and saw her fidgety hands and uncertain eyes, he sighed and made up his mind to make a decision as soon as possible. The conference would probably bring this up again: if they were going to talk about the DWARFs, they were bound to discuss fieldwork as well...

For now, he decided not to think about it.

"I will give you an answer soon," he stated, making her look at him again. "Give me time, yeah?"

Simmons stared at him, giving him the searching look she often had that puzzled him endlessly, and then nodded.

"Of course," she whispered, smiling slightly. He smiled back.

"Come on, we've got a plane tomorrow morning early," he said standing up. "And you've got to update me on Rome, it's history and wherever you're going to drag me tomorrow."

He smiled, hoping that she'd take this little truce.

She did.

"We've got eight hours of flight to talk about it," she remarked, grinning at him. He faked a sigh and then grinned back, her enthusiasm getting to him.

This trip could be fun...

-:-

They arrived in time at Boston Logan Airport and had a long but easy flight. Both she and Fitz slept soundly for the first hours as they were exhausted by the long weeks of work and the early morning wake-up.

It was at some point after eleven o'clock that Jemma put away the notes she'd made for the conference and took out her tablet, opening the guide she found yesterday and a few tourists articles that she found interesting during her browsing.

She felt the little bubble of excitement in her stomach again and couldn't push it away. She knew that they were going to Rome for work and that they had a duty towards Agent Avery as representatives of Boston's Sci-Ops facility.

But they were going to _Rome_.

She'd always wanted to go there. Italy had been one of the countries she'd wanted to visit since she was a little girl. There was so much to see: Florence, Venice, Verona, Siena, Rome...

Those cities had ancient history and works of art that had survived for centuries.

Her grandfather had been an Art professor and had always showed her pictures of Italian cities and artists who were his favourite. He had a particular soft spot for Rome: his love for the city went from the ancient ruins and the Colosseum to the enormity of Renaissance art held inside the Vatican; he would talk to Jemma for hours about the great architects and artists that had embellished the city and then raved about the painters.

Jemma probably knew more about Italian Art at the age of ten than biology...

Her interest had grown despite her grandfather's passing years later; it was as though he had left a part of his love in his granddaughter's heart too. An additional gift for her along with the memories of the moments spent together.

It was with the sound of his soft and low voice in her mind that Jemma read the guides for the rest of the flight. Her enthusiasm skyrocketed as she found out how close their hotel was to the centre of the city and to the most ancient part of it.

It was a nudge against her shoulder that made her look up a while later and turn to her side.

Fitz had woken up shortly after she did and had been reading the notes for the conference that she had prepared the night before. Right now, however, he was peering at her tablet, trying to see what she was reading. A smile made its way on her face as she moved the screen so that he could read too.

"And you had the nerve to tease me for downloading the guide," she whispered, nudging his shoulder with hers. "Prat..."

He grinned at her and she ignored the little twinge in her chest and smiled back. She also shoved away the resident thought that they might not have more moments like these -_together_- if he didn't take the field assessment with her.

They might be working less together, or not at all, if she passed the test and was sent off with a field team while he stayed at the lab.

They might not see each other...

Jemma didn't want to even think about it. She had long decided that staying away from Fitz was something that she dreaded and avoided it at all costs; it was a conclusion that she had come to when she was sixteen.

Being apart was something that they'd always avoided. The only tangible risk of separation had been years ago when Fitz was on the verge of refusing to join SHIELD and the Academy.

They argued, talked, cried...and kissed (but _that_ was something that neither ever talked about again: it was too complicated...) and at the end, they stayed together.

Something had changed between them, making their interactions more edgy in some circumstances, but they were still together.

They were at a crossroad now: she wanted to move forward while he wanted to stay where he was.

The thought of separating willingly, accepting each other's decision, made her chest _ache_.

Jemma mentally steeled herself and pushed all these thoughts away. Fitz had promised to think about it and give her an answer soon; he hadn't refused yet...

She tried to refocus on the fact that they were both going to Rome. She tried to draw out the elated feelings that had been filling her heart once again.

"I was looking at this map," she said, sinking back in her seat and showing him the tablet. "It's an enlarged visual print of all the important sites, monuments and tourists' attractions close to our hotel."

She showed him a stretch of white lines dotted with dozens of colourful dots.

"Bloody hell..." Fitz commented with wide eyes. "Just seeing those things would take _days_."

"Well, this is a map for tourists; a good part of these sites are restaurants or cafés," Jemma tapped on the tablet and enlarged a section. "Our hotel's up here," She pointed and then dragged a finger down a white line that was a main street. "Going down this street -it's called..Via Nazionale- we come to this main square... Piazza Venezia... and that's like in the middle of everything and there's this enormous monument dedicated to Italy's first king. Here, on the left, there's the road with all the Imperial Forums and then the Colosseum at the end; then, over here-" She moved her finger back to the square and then south. "This is a main street: it's called Via del Corso. Somewhere among these roads there are the famous Spanish Steps and the Trevi fountain."

"The one from that old classic film?" Fitz asked. "Roman Holiday?"

"Yes," She smiled at him teasingly. "I'd never labelled you as the bloke that would watch old films."

"Mum likes them," He shrugged with a wry smile. "And they're not that bad..."

"Aren't you full of surprises?" She teased him with a grin and he scoffed.

He leaned over, shoulder meshed to hers and pointed to another road that started from the central square. "Where does this go?"

"That's another main street and it goes-" She trailed her finger on it and read the little captions. "Oh, this one heads down to the fortress of Castel Sant'Angelo and the Vatican." Jemma bit her lip. "I doubt we'll get to visit it or see it close; it's not much of a walk from out hotel but it would take us too much time."

"So...what's the plan?" Fitz asked. "We have more or less two hours once we get there."

"I don't know how we can move around and about; probably bus or taxi. I was thinking that we could see the ancient Roman ruins and the Colosseum. Then we could look around Piazza Venezia and get back to the hotel for the conference."

She looked at him and smiled brightly. If they had time, she'd plan a very different sightseeing tour but with two hours and no private transportation, she had to get the most from what they had.

Fitz looked at her for a moment, blue eyes studying her curiously and she had to use all her self-control not to squirm and blush.

"That's okay for you?" She asked, realising that she was deciding everything without giving him much of a say.

"Yeah," he replied, grinning. "It's fine for me."

Moments later, they heard the message to buckle up because they were landing.

"_Ladies and Gentlemen, we're approaching the airport of Fiumicino, Leonardo Da Vinci."_

Jemma's heart started to pound in her chest as a smile made its way on her face.

-:-

The first thing Fitz noticed once they landed was that it was warm.

It was spring and it was almost the last week of April but there had to be at least 23 °C there. He tugged slightly at his jumper's collar, undoing the first buttons of his shirt to get some air.

The second thing he noticed was that the airport was bloody chaotic.

He was used to Boston Logan's airport and to the airports of Glasgow and Liverpool when they went back to UK and yet the airport of Fiumicino had its own level of chaos.

He tugged the sling of his bag up his shoulder and looked around for the indications for the luggage retrieval area. He and Simmons had realised last night that they had to find a way to transport the DWARFs' case covertly without exposing the SHIELD logo emblazoned on it.

Fitz had to unearth one of the largest suitcases he had and put the case in there along with a good part of their devices and his clothing. He had an intricate lock embedded on the suitcase along with a tracking device connected to both their tablets: the suitcase was too important to get lost.

Thankfully, Simmons had agreed to re-pack a larger trolley where she put her personal items, clothing and a part of Fitz's too.

They'd just have to divide their stuff once they were at the hotel...

He glanced to his right and smiled slightly when he saw Simmons watching everything around them with shining eyes. It was the look she had whenever her mind was seeking for more details, when curiosity took over and she wanted more answers.

It was the look that she had when she was reading the guide on the flight.

She always looked at the world with curious eyes.

_Field work would be perfect for her..._ he thought and swallowed dryly. He'd have to make up his mind soon; either he decided to take the assessment and follow the consequences or he'd just have to let her go.

He didn't know which thought terrified him more.

Fitz shook his head and started walking, following a sign that should take them to their luggage.

This was not the moment to dwell in these thoughts...

"Let's go find our things, yeah?" He said, making Simmons turn to him. Her smile faded slightly and she looked at him oddly. He wondered if his inner turmoil was showing on his face and forced himself to shove all the thoughts away.

They were in Rome and he didn't want to ruin her mood: she was too happy to be here.

"Let's see if we can figure out where to go," he remarked with a smile. He was glad to see her smile back though her eyes still lingered on him.

"We'll just have to follow the signs," she said as they walked side by side.

"Yeah... but the English directions are a bit generic and-" He looked around taking in the noise. "Italian is a weird language."

"_What?_" She laughed out. "And how is that relevant now?"

"It's distracting!" He moved closer to her to avoid a family with children and way too many suitcases bustling towards him. "I'm used to English and American but this strange language with open-vowels and strange pronunciation." He shot her a look. "It's weird."

"This coming from the man that speaks German," He rolled his eyes at her. Simmons always teased him about that, remarking that there was an odd flow and sound in the rare occasions when he spoke it.

"Anyway, Italian is the direct descendant of Latin," she continued. "It's not that incomprehensible."

"You know French, that's why you're saying that," He looked at her. "You know Latin as well, don't you?"

"A bit."

"Why am I not surprised?" He shook his head with a smile. "Why do you even _know_ Latin? Surely, not only for science."

"My grandfather," She smiled at him, a fond look making its way on her face. "You know that he was an Art professor, right?" He nodded, recalling her telling him and seeing his books and collections at her grandmother's house. "He knew Latin from his studies and I think he actually knew some Italian as well. He loved Italian artists and would talk about them for hours when I was a child."

The soft look in her eyes and that little fond smile made him smile. Her paternal grandfather had passed away before they had met but he knew that she had loved him a lot. Her grandmother had talked about him many times, especially during the few visits to her house in the outskirts of Sheffield. Her house was smaller than Jemma's family home but it was full of books and souvenirs from the world: the house of two professors who loved their fields (Art and Music) and who loved to travel.

Fitz had always thought that Jemma had taken all the good traits from all of her family members: the love for science and to help people from her parents, the love for music and for travelling from her formidable grandmother and, he now learned, her interest for arts from her grandfather.

"Did he ever visit Italy?" He asked.

"Yes, a few times," she replied. "He visited many cities on his own and then with Gran, but he always spoke about Rome." She blushed slightly, looking bashful. "I think that's why I'm so eager to be here."

"Well, then let's not waste time, shall we?" He grinned at her. "We've got a city to visit."

Simmons beamed at him.

They managed to get their luggage without wasting too much time and walked towards the exit where a car should be waiting for them. Fitz looked around, squinting in the sudden bright sunlight and saw a hoard of cars and taxis.

"Fitz, over there," Simmons touched his shoulder and pointed to her right. He turned and surely enough, he saw a man in a prim driver's suit holding a sign with the name 'Dr. FitzSimmons'.

"Oh, well..." He arched a brow and looked at her. She shrugged and smiled.

They approached the man with their suitcases and he looked at them curiously.

"Hello," Fitz said, hoping that the hotel had sent someone that spoke English. "I think you're waiting for us."

"Oh..-er... You are-" The man fumbled with his words a bit; then he glanced at the sign and at the two of them. "You are... FitzSimmons? Both of you?"

He and Simmons shared a glance and smiled. How many times had this happened again?

"Fitz." "Simmons." They pointed at each other.

The man looked at them again and then nodded, smiling broadly.

"Pleased to meet you, Dr Fitz and Dr. Simmons. My name is Vittorio," he said pleasantly. "Welcome to Rome."

Fitz studied the man as he shook his hand.

He was Italian, judging by his olive skin and dark hair and eyes, and had to be around his fifties; his English was a bit accented with Italian but it was correctly pronounced. And he looked cordial and polite.

Fitz immediately liked him when he shook Simmons' hand and smiled without throwing her any looks or whispered comments like the taxi drivers next to them. A couple of them were giving her looks that made his blood boil. Simmons didn't seem to notice them and gracefully smiled as Vittorio led them to the car -a sleek black BMW- and opened the door to let her inside after taking her suitcase.

He then approached Fitz and something must have shown on his face because the older man frowned and then turned towards the men next to them, shooting them a glare that made them look away.

Yes, Fitz definitely liked their driver.

He helped the man put the luggage in the trunk and then sat with Simmons in the back seat.

Both he and Simmons looked at the change of scenery through the car's glass as they drove away from the airport. The radio was tuned to some Italian station but Vittorio quickly lowered the volume and looked at them through the rear view mirror.

"Is this your first time in Italy?" He asked with a smile. He seemed genuinely interested and Fitz reminded himself that Italians did have the fame of being very cordial and easygoing.

"Yes, sir," Simmons replied.

"Oh, don't call me sir, Dr. Simmons. Vittorio is enough."

"Then you have to call us with our first names too," Simmons looked at him and he nodded immediately. "I'm Jemma and he's Leo."

Fitz tried to ignore the little twist in his chest as she called him Leo. They had been using their surnames ever since they joined SHIELD.

He missed it...

Vittorio actually beamed at them.

"_Gemma e Leo!_" He exclaimed, pronouncing their names in the Italian way. "That's easy to remember."

He and Simmons shared a glance and grinned at the man's words.

"How old are you?" He asked. "Sorry, I know that it's not polite to ask a woman's age, _Gemma_, but you two look very, very young."

Fitz grinned at him.

"We're both twenty-three," he replied, appreciating the man's bluntness and politeness.

The driver laughed.

"You _are_ young! I could be your father: my daughter Elisa is older than you," He smiled again and looked at them. "Twenty-three and already doctors? You must be very intelligent."

"Yes," Fitz admitted with a matter of fact tone. Simmons whacked his arm.

"Fitz!" She hissed, blushing slightly.

"What?! It's the truth!" She rolled her eyes at him and Vittorio laughed again.

"How long are you staying?" The car turned and Fitz noticed that they had entered the city; there were more houses, parks and cars now.

"Just today, really..." Simmons replied. "We have a conference this evening and we'll leave tomorrow morning."

"Oh, that's too bad," Vittorio frowned slightly. "You can't visit the city."

"Yeah..." Her face fell slightly as she looked out of the window and Fitz felt something twist in his chest again. He shifted slightly in his seat so that he was closer to the driver.

"Er...I was wondering-" He started slowly, making Vittorio glance a him. "Is there a route that you can take that gets us to the hotel soon but allows us to see a bit of Rome as well?"

The older man looked thoughtful for a moment and nodded.

"I know one," he replied with a smile. Fitz grinned at him and settled back in the seat. He turned to his side and found Simmons staring at him with a soft look.

He shrugged and she reached for his wrist and gently wrapped her fingers around it, squeezing softly.

Fitz smiled.

He'd let her get the most from the few free hours they had.

-:-

Jemma watched the scenery change before her eyes and admired the view.

She had always heard that Rome was a bit of an idiosyncrasy, meshing modern and ancient buildings together, but she never expected to see new offices made of glass and sleek metal next to old medieval churches or Roman ruins.

It was fascinating.

Vittorio was driving with ease, swerving the large car in small roads continuously and coming out in larger streets. She had already noticed that Rome was a maze of streets and was immensely glad that she wasn't driving: she'd get lost in a heartbeat.

Fitz was leaning forward against the seat and speaking to Vittorio, an easy smile on his face. She felt her lips quirk upwards too.

He had been really sweet to ask their driver to give them a bit of a tour as they headed to the hotel. He had been incredibly supportive towards her eagerness to see as much of Rome as possible; she wondered if he even realised how many times he did this for her. How many times did he do things _for_ her?

And _she_ tried not to linger on the thought... It made her heart flutter in ways that would only lead her mind to dangerous paths...

She had, however, noticed the hardened look on his face when they were getting into the car as the men around them had looked and whispered at her.

She was not blind or deaf and she noticed that he reacted this way every time someone (_male_) looked at her way with unhidden interest. Her mind told her that he was only being protective but something in her heart kept saying that it could be something more... Jealousy perhaps?

Jemma bit her lip and looked out of the glass again.

_Friends_, she told herself. _**Best**_ _friends... __**Don't**_ _think that way_.

They were driving in a busy street now that coasted the river Tiber. She blinked wondering when they'd gone from being on a highway to this cobbled street full of cars and with trees on its side.

"This is _Lungotevere_," Vittorio explained and she found him looking at her through the rear view mirror. "We're close to the centre."

She looked outside again, watching the street filled with cars and motorcycles that were a stark contrast with the slow flow of the river. It resembled the Thames although it was smaller in width and was almost swallowed by the city.

Jemma felt Fitz move closer to her, his shoulder bumping against hers as he looked out of her window.

"And here I thought that Boston was chaotic," he commented softly, eyeing the traffic. Their car turned around a corner and she caught a glimpse of an old bridge across the river.

She turned slightly and grinned at him.

"Did you know that the bridges that cross the Tiber are still the ones built by the Ancient Romans?" She remarked. "Obviously, they've been reinforced but the main structure is still the same. And the same goes for-"

"-for the aqueducts and sewers," Fitz finished with a nod. He shot her an amused look. "I studied for this trip too."

She rolled her eyes and whacked his arm again but couldn't help the grin on her face. She was about to retort and say something about the ancient water system when an old building literally popped out in the middle of the river and she blinked.

"What the-?" Fitz asked in bewilderment, staring outside.

"That's the hospital _Fate Bene Fratelli_," Vittorio explained. "It's on the island, _Isola Tiberina_. You can see the old bridge there: you can walk in and visit the island."

Sure enough, they both saw the small stone bridge that connected the main street to the small island.

"And if you look on your right, that's the Palace of Justice," The car slowed down slightly as she and Fitz scrambled in their seats and looked outside. Jemma's eyes widened at the sight of the enormous white building that stretched for the length of the street and that was decorated with bas-reliefs and marble statues.

"Look at that..." She whispered in awe as they drove past it, turning to go across a bridge.

"Simmons," She turned to look at Fitz but his eyes were looking outside and were wide open. She followed his gaze and gasped in surprise.

The view before them was stunning to say the least.

Under the warm spring sun, the river looked almost green and not the murky brown she'd seen before but what really had them in awe were the buildings -_enormous_ buildings- that appeared at its sides.

There was a white marble bridge decorated with statues of angels and leading to the stone fortress of Castel Sant'Angelo. Next to it, on the left, was Saint Peter's church, gleaming white in the sun.

It was beautiful. Jemma couldn't really explain the sight with other words.

"The view from _Ponte Umberto I _is one of the most beautiful from _Lungotevere_," Vittorio commented, smiling at their astounded expressions as they turned to him. "It's beautiful at night."

Jemma nodded, speechless. The sight was downright spectacular now: she wondered what it must look like at night. She heard a soft click near her and saw Fitz taking pictures with his phone. Thankfully, he had the presence of mind to do that: she'd ask to see them later...

Their driver started to point out places to them as they drove deeper into the centre, but Jemma had trouble keeping up with all the names; they were just too many palaces, squares, fountains and churches.

"Oh, you will like this," Vittorio commented as he drove past a square that had Roman relics in the middle of it (he called it Largo Argentina, if she was not mistaken) and pointed to the front as they arrived in another large square. "This is _Piazza Venezia_."

"Bloody hell..." Fitz murmured and Jemma couldn't really retort because the car turned and they were suddenly in the middle of a large rectangular square, facing a monumental marble building, richly decorated with statues and decorations.

"That's the monument to Italy's first king," she said softly.

"Yes, _Gemma_," Vittorio agreed with a smile. "That's the monument to _Vittorio Emanuele II_."

She barely had time to roam her eyes over the building when she saw a street snaking on its left and her breath got caught in her throat.

She had seen the picture in her guide: it was the road of the Imperial Forums and, at the end, stood the Colosseum. Jemma found herself speechless for the second time in minutes.

"_I Fori Imperiali e il Colosseo_," Vittorio said in Italian but she understood quite fine.

"Wait...are we close to the hotel then?" Fitz asked after taking another couple of pictures.

"Yes, it's up this street," The car turned right and sped up along a large street. Minutes later, they were in front of their hotel. It looked just as posh and expensive as it looked in the pictures.

Vittorio stopped the car at the entrance and opened her door, helping her out. Jemma smiled in gratitude and was suddenly aware of the fact that she was, indeed, in the centre of Rome. She took in the noise around her, the warmth of the sun and the buildings around her and barely noticed Fitz talking with their driver.

The square in front of the hotel had a large fountain in the middle of it: she noticed how some tourists were sitting on its edge, some dangling their feet in the water. It made her smile as they were completely unaware of the fact that they were in middle of a square full of traffic and just wanted some relief from the heat.

"Hey," She turned around and faced Fitz who held her suitcase out to her. "I've been talking with Vittorio-"

"And that's surprising on its own," she teased, taking her luggage. "You're awfully talkative today. Should I worry that you'll ditch me here and go off with your new best friend?"

Fitz rolled his eyes at her.

"Yeah sure..." He drawled. "Anyway, he'll wait for us down here so that we can put our stuff in our rooms and then get back down. He'll drop us next to the monuments so we don't have to walk from here."

"Really?" She looked behind at the older man who was chatting with another driver. "That's really nice of him."

"I think he likes us," Fitz grinned, taking his suitcase and turning around. "Come on.."

She followed him into the hotel and almost collided into him when he stopped abruptly, jaw hanging open as he took in the elegant hallway.

Jemma had travelled enough in the past with her parents to be used to European hotels; she had been to France and had visited a handful of its cities, staying in similar accommodations. Her parents had never wasted their money on anything but there had been times, when she was a child, when they indulged during vacations.

She knew that Fitz wasn't used to any of this,let alone travelling. All of his trips and flights had been with her: from America to UK in plane when they went home and visited their cities, their occasional trips around Boston when they had free days and now Rome.

She was immensely glad to be able to share this with him.

"Come on," she murmured, nudging his shoulder and stepping in front of him. "I'm sure the Roman ruins are more astounding than this lobby... as beautiful as it is."

"Yeah..." Fitz blushed slightly, composing himself. "Right..."

She smiled softly at him and headed to the reception table.

It took them more time than they thought to get upstairs. Apparently, the hotel had thought that Dr. FitzSimmons was clearly one person so the sight of the two British scientists sent them in a bit of a flurry.

They soon managed to get a double room -all of the single rooms were taken by the scientists of the conference- and the hotel's manager was extremely relieved to see that they agreed to the arrangement.

She and Fitz walked into a large room at the fifth floor, taking in the wooden panelled walls and floor, the immaculate white restroom and the two identical beds with white sheets and blue spreads. Fitz put his suitcase on the ground and quickly opened it to check the DWARFs case and the rest of their devices; when he was satisfied that everything was in place, he put the case on the small table next to the window. Jemma approached him and looked outside, she could see a good part of the square beneath them and the streets expanding from the centre.

"We're at the opposite side of the ruins," Fitz remarked, looking outside as well. "Come on, we've got a little more than two hours until the conference and we've got a city to visit. And I'm hungry."

Jemma grinned at him, picking up her bag. Fitz discarded his jumper, tossing it on a chair.

"You might get to eat some real Italian pizza," she said as they went downstairs and she laughed as Fitz's eyes brightened.

Vittorio was waiting for them and they quickly jumped into the car and he explained to them what they could visit nearby. Jemma traced everything on her tablet, pinpointing the places on the map. He also gave Fitz his phone number so that they could call him when they wanted to be picked up.

Less than five minutes later, he stopped nearly at the end of the main street called via Nazionale and pointed towards a staircase.

"You go down there and you'll get to Piazza Venezia," he told her. "_E Leo_-" He turned to Fitz with a grin. "As you go down the stairs, there's a small pizzeria. I know the boy that works there and the pizza is good and at a good price."

"Thank you," they said, getting out of the car and the man waved as he sped away.

Jemma turned to Fitz with a grin.

"Let's go."

-:-

Simmons was literally bouncing as she walked down the stairs and Fitz couldn't help but grin at her obvious enthusiasm.

They bought something to eat in the pizzeria that Vittorio had suggested and quickly ate there, sitting on some stools. He had to admit that the warm pizza with tomato sauce and mozzarella and the one with potatoes and sausages were among the best he had ever eaten; he and Simmons had taken two pieces each so that they could share along with two bottles of water.

He was glad that they'd both thought to change their money to euros back in Boston; they'd never have found the time to change them here.

They had barely walked down the stairs when they stopped, together, and stared at the tall marble column in front of them.

It was so intricately decorated that Fitz wondered how it was possible to be so precise and detailed in carving _marble_.

"That is Trajan's Column," Simmons remarked, stepping forward and looking up in awe. "It's beautiful..."

Fitz took out his phone and started taking pictures while Simmons retrieved her tablet and started reading about the column. He listened as she talked about the Dacian wars and the column being a commemorative symbol to emperor Trajan's victory.

"To think that this has almost two millennia..." He muttered, thinking about the artistic and building feat that was the monument.

"Yeah..." Simmons walked with him around the column, admiring the details. "And we can still admire it now."

"Yeah..." It was mind-blowing really to think about it.

"Come on," Simmons tugged his shirt's sleeve. "This is just the beginning."

He grinned at her and nodded, following her.

They walked around the square, admiring the monument to the king and the overall view but they couldn't go inside or -they read this from Simmons' guide- take the elevator to the top of the monument that would show them a full view of Rome. The queue for the ticket was just too long.

"Maybe another time," Simmons said with a shrug and he nodded silently, noticing the little flash of disappointment in her eyes.

"Why are those soldiers standing there?" He asked, pointing to two men standing at the top of the white marble staircase, on both sides of what looked like an alter with an inscription and a laurel wreath above it.

"It's the tomb for the Unknown soldier," Simmons read from her guide.

"Like the one we have at Westminster Abbey?"

"Yeah..." Simmons glanced at him. "A tribute to all the nameless dead soldiers during the world wars."

"It's fitting that they put it here," He looked around at the crowded square. "Everyone can pay tribute-."

"-and remember." She finished and they shared another glance before walking away.

They walked around the monument, both taking pictures with their phones from different angles and then went down the Imperial forums' road. The whole site just took their breath away.

Fitz had never travelled and hadn't ever seen anything exceptionally ancient, but the sight of the Roman ruins in front of him and the gigantic amphitheatre at the end of the road just made his mind reel in astonishment.

These marble and stone ruins had been standing there for centuries, had survived historical changes and wars... And yet they still stood there ready to be seen by the future generations.

He was hit by the same sense of awe that he had felt watching Trajan's column.

He glanced at Simmons and watched her admire the ruins, occasionally reading about them in her tablet and wondered if this was the feeling that spurred her never-ending curiosity and yearning to know more.

The feeling that there was so much more to see in the world, to explore and discover... The feeling that there was more in the universe...

Was this the reason that made her want to go into the field in first place?

He wondered about it as he walked next to her, listening as she read about the single emperors and the forums that they had built in their name.

The road was crowded by tourists and random merchants who sold carved wooden statues, paintings and t-shirts. Fitz reached for her elbow, steering her closer to him as she looked up abruptly.

"Don't want you to get lost," he explained with a wry smile and she smiled back, putting the tablet away and looping her arm around his.

He ignored the light stutter of his heart in his chest, keeping in mind that they were friends (and friends walked close together -nothing wrong with that) and walked towards the Colosseum.

The feeling of astonishment doubled in his chest as they got closer and just stood there in front of the amphitheatre. He felt Simmons' fingers tighten around his bicep and he stole a glance at her.

Her eyes were shining and she was smiling and he couldn't help but smile.

Maybe...it would be worth to go into the field just to see her face light up like that…

Maybe…

He could consider the possibility...

-:-

Jemma couldn't tear her eyes from the monument before her.

She remembered what her grandfather used to say about the Colosseum; that it was the largest and, probably, most important building in Roman Era; that it had taken three emperors to have it built and that it was the symbol of Rome nowadays.

And as she admired the structure with white and sandy brown stone in stark contrast against the clear blue sky, she felt in awe, mind-blown by the size and historical importance it carried.

She turned to her side and saw Fitz staring at the monument with wide eyes and a stunned smile.

It warmed her heart to see him enjoy this sudden sightseeing tour as much as she did. She had been pestering him with random information about Rome and its monuments since yesterday, but he didn't protest and just listened.

He'd been supportive about everything and hadn't left her side from the start.

She didn't want this to change...Ever.

Was she wanting too much? She couldn't help but compare this to the field assessment test and wondered if she wasn't just obliging him to follow her whenever she asked him to.

There was a little voice in her head that was whispering that Fitz would do anything for her; she'd do the same for him. She didn't want to take advantage of this.

He never forced her to do anything...

She squeezed his bicep again, making him turn to her and arch a brow.

"What?" He asked, eyes puzzled. Jemma wondered if her face was displaying some emotion that he couldn't understand.

"I'm just glad that we're here," she replied with a smile. "Would you have ever thought that the two little kids from MIT would be here in Rome at some point? Together?"

She hadn't really...

He grinned at her and pulled out his phone.

"Come on," he said, nodding to the Colosseum. "I'll take a picture of you standing there."

She didn't allow him to move away from her and wrinkled her nose.

"No, you're not getting away with it," she protested, and she stopped an elderly couple, asking the man to take a few pictures of them.

Thankfully, they spoke English and Jemma dragged Fitz in a momentarily tourist-free spot and they stood side by side.

"You're a tyrant," he whispered against her ear. "You know I hate pictures."

"Yes, I am..." She murmured, smiling and looping her arm tightly around his. "Now hush and smile."

Her smile turned into a grin when she felt him move closer to her.

They walked around the monument, commenting on its size and about the historical facts that they knew. Fitz wondered about the games played inside and mused over the engineering feat of filling the building with water for some form of full-size battleship round.

Jemma talked about the destruction of a good part of Roman and medieval relics done during the fascist reign to build the Imperial forums road; even though the road itself was beautiful and suggestive, she couldn't help but wonder about the other relics that had been destroyed and nobody could admire anymore.

They were standing in front of the Arch of Titus, on the right side of the Colosseum, when Jemma saw the time and sighed, realising that they had to leave.

"You should call Vittorio," she said, turning to Fitz who looked at her from his phone. "It's almost five ten."

He looked at her oddly and she smiled, feeling little tendrils of warmth and affection for him. He still worried for her...

"It's fine really, Fitz," She moved a hand to his arm and squeezed. "I've seen more than I've ever thought I'd see."

"Alright," he replied slowly and made the call only when she nodded.. They walked back to Piazza Venezia and less then five minutes later, their driver was there.

Vittorio beamed at them.

"So, you liked your tour?" He asked as soon as they were in.

"It was beautiful," Jemma said whole-heartedly. "Rome is really beautiful."

She turned around to look at the large square and get a last glimpse of all the monuments. She made a promise to herself to come back and see all if it again in the future.

Jemma was so busy getting a last look that she missed Fitz's thoughtful stare on her.

-:-

They got to the hotel in five minutes with forty-five minutes before the conference started. Fitz got out of the car after Simmons and they both thanked Vittorio for his kindness.

The older man just waved his hand in modest dismissal and smiled.

"You've never seen Rome," he remarked. "It was right for you to see something."

"_Simmons?"_

The biochemist turned and her eyes widened in recognition at the sight of a tall, dark woman who was smiling at her. Fitz vaguely recalled seeing her at the Academy: she had to be in the Biology wing when Simmons had her own room. Her name was Alice...Alicia...Ali-something.

His partner shot him a look that he interpreted as 'Give me a few minutes' and he nodded as she went to greet the woman.

Fitz approached Vittorio.

"Thank you," he said with a smile and the older man smiled back.

"You're welcome, _Leo_," he said. He pointed to Simmons who was talking with the other woman. "She looked really happy..."

"She'd be happier if we had more time," Fitz remarked instantly and frowned slightly.

"Take her out tonight. There are many beautiful things to see at night and many of sites are open since Rome's birthday."

Fitz turned abruptly.

"What?" He asked in confusion. He wondered if he had heard correctly: it seemed that the older man had talked about the city's _birthday_.

"The anniversary of Rome's founding," Vittorio explained, seeing his confused expression. "It was on the 21st of April and this whole week has had celebrations. Some museums are open until midnight and some palaces too. _Castel Sant'Angelo_ is open until late-"

"Really?" Fitz's attention perked. "Do you know until when?"

"Probably midnight."

Fitz glanced at Simmons. He remembered her fading smile when she said that they wouldn't be able to see that part of the city.

He honestly didn't know how long the conference would take and how much they'd have to wait before leaving... but if they managed to sneak out before midnight...

He turned to Vittorio.

"Can I ask you one last favour?"

-:-

They had half an hour before the conference started; they had to shower, get dressed and prepare their notes and devices.

And yet, they managed to do everything.

Their synchronization worked out as always.

Fitz had spent years at home, sharing spaces with his sister and brother, but he was sure that he had never been able to get to shower and dress without finding someone in his space and slowing him down.

He didn't have these issues with Simmons - they had their pace and routines. He showered first while she prepared her notes because he didn't need as much as her to get prepared (Try wearing a dress and make-up, Fitz, she'd scoffed the first and only time he protested, years ago. He never said anything again.); while she was getting ready, he'd prepare their equipment and then they'd leave.

It was a well practised routine that got more and more precise after years of living together.

However, nothing prepared Fitz for having the air knocked out of him when he saw Simmons appear in a long, sleeveless black and beige dress and black heels. She had gathered her hair up in some elaborate style with some loose, curly tendrils falling on her face.

Swallowing dryly, Fitz tried to keep his emotions in check as he noticed the way her skin seemed to glow with the light make-up she'd applied and how her eyes just seemed brighter.

And he really _shouldn't_ be ogling her...

_Best friend, best friend_, he put the mantra on repeat in his head as he met her eyes and smiled. She looked at him for a moment, eyes taking in his appearance.

"I know," he said, scratching the back of his head. "I'm in the suit that I put on for last year's SHIELD event... but I really didn't know what to bring."

"No... I didn't..." Simmons approached him and he was enveloped in the familiar scent of lavender that she always had on her.

He caught an odd look in her eyes, something that made him want to lean forward and-

_Stop._

_Now_.

He had to blame the fact that they had been closer than ever, especially after coming back from two weeks of holidays in the UK. They'd been working together constantly and barely saw other people.

He hadn't dated anyone after his harsh breakup with Emily Ashton (and her not so subtle or wrong accusation of being infatuated with his partner). Fitz also noticed that Simmons hadn't been seeing anyone else either after breaking up with Eisen.

It made him wonder about... possibilities. Again.

And then made him shove everything away as his eyes fell on the SHIELD logo emblazoned on the DWARFs case.

The menace of Section 17 loomed over them and he couldn't bear the thought of getting separated from her.

Simmons reached for his collar and gently smoothed it down.

"You still mess the back when you put on your tie," she remarked softly with a smile. He couldn't get his mouth to speak coherently and just nodded, smiling slightly as she straightened his tie as well.

"We should go," he said, nodding towards the clock. "It's almost six."

"Yes," she replied, picking up her bag and a folder of notes. He watched with a fond smile as she swiftly slipped a notebook and pen in the folder.

"Planning to take notes?" He asked, picking up the DWARFs case.

"Yes," she said and frowned as she looked up at him. "Don't give me that look."

"What?" He protested teasingly. "I just thought that it reminds me of the Academy. I feel like we're going of to a lecture. The only difference is-" He waved a hand at them vaguely. "-the fancy clothing."

Simmons rolled her eyes and swatted his arm with her hand.

"Come on," She opened the door and they both walked out. "We'll be late."

"Wouldn't that be _terrible_?"

"Prat."

Fitz laughed until they got to the elevator and she smiled at him. And while they got into the elevator and met a few familiar faces, he realised that he hadn't told her about his idea to go and visit something later that night.

-:-

The conference lasted three hours and it was, surprisingly, quite interesting.

Jemma took notes diligently, sure that Agent Avery would want to know about the ideas exchanged there. She and Fitz were sitting in one of the first lines of seats and had a full view of the room and of the light board used by the speaker.

The hall resembled one of the smaller lecture rooms of the Academy with a podium and board, but the seats were plush and the room itself was decorated with columns and marble decorations.

Romans sure know how to decorate their hotels, she had to admit...

She was also astonished by the number of scientists attending the conference. When they walked in and took their seats, she recognised a few familiar faces: old Academy cadets, some professors and a few foreign scientists that had worked at their Sci-Ops facility. She also saw a few faces that she knew only by their research papers. She had nudged Fitz's side when she saw a white-haired man that she identified as Slevin Eriog, a famed biologist that had written some fascinating papers on the use of natural neurotoxins taken from some animals.

Fitz had smiled good-naturedly at her enthusiasm and she had to forcibly remind herself to look away at some point and not stare at him for the entire night.

His honest smile always did funny things to her mind and heart...

But his smile _and_ him in a dark blue suit, white shirt and blue tie? Her brain just fried out while her heart started doing the familiar flutter in her chest whenever he caught her off-guard.

He wore the suit during SHIELD's New Year event and she and his sister had helped him pick it up at the store.

She also clearly remembered that during that night, as they left the event to go back to their apartment, she had been terribly tempted to just forget about all her restraints and kiss him.

Right...

Thinking about this while they were in a crowded hall, surrounded by fellow SHIELD scientists wasn't _really_ the wisest thing she could do.

Thankfully, she was brought out of her stream of thoughts as the lecturer left the podium for another scientist who she recognised as a Canadian engineer Fitz talked about months ago after reading one of his papers; if she was not mistaken, he had analysed some terrorist tech found during an Op mission, in the form of miniature drone-like bombs that attacked soldiers, foreign conveys and innocent people. She clearly remembered Fitz's outraged and troubled expression and he was sporting the same look now.

She reached for his wrist and gently wrapped her fingers around it for a moment without looking at him. The soft brush of his fingers on the back of her hand made her smile slightly.

He mirrored her gesture when a Congolese chemist spoke about her research on an antidote to fight the effects of a gas bomb that had killed people in some villages in the southern regions of Africa. Jemma felt a wave of horror at the thought of using her knowledge to actively hurt or kill people just like Fitz had. Her fingers tightened their hold on his hand and he squeezed back.

One by one, selected scientists were asked to speak about their works and projects. Every scientist had a little speech written out and explained some part of their current projects. Jemma glanced at Fitz who looked at her - they had thought well to write down something about the DWARFs.

When they were called to the podium, they were greeted by a polite applause and -unsurprisingly- some murmurs. They were both used to it by now, after years of lectures, seminars and conferences: they were always the youngest in the room.

But it didn't bother them.

She and Fitz talked about their devices: the Hounds and the DWARFs and other minor things they had created at the start of their career in Sci-Ops. They were all devices that could be actively used in the field during missions. It suddenly occurred to Jemma as they used a Holobox to show the DWARFs analysis data that their work was different from the projects they had been hearing about the whole night.

Among all the scientists, she and Fitz were the only ones that truly worked on personal projects -they were the only ones that had truly invented something. All the others had been working on something that came as a consequence to a device or a dangerous virus.

Their presentation was probably the longest and they were bombarded by questions.

When they finished, they received a long applause and Jemma flushed in pride. She stole a glance at Fitz and saw the grin on his face. It made her realise that they could both do so much more in the field; they could truly help people.

When Fitz looked at her, she saw some emotion flash in his eyes and she wondered if he was realising this as well. She didn't want to push him though; he had to decide on his own and truly want this.

She just hoped that he wouldn't let her leave on her own...

-:-

Once the conference was over, they all moved into another hall where they could get refreshments and chat with each other. It was another richly decorated room with large windows that showed a night-lit city of Rome.

Fitz put away his plate after finishing his second helping of pasta; he had been famished to say the least after spending the day travelling on the plane and then out in the city.

And it didn't hurt that the catering service had made different types of dishes that he could try to eat...

He looked over his shoulder and searched for Simmons and found her talking with a small group of people, the same with whom they'd been talking for the past half an hour. They had spent the better part of the last two hours speaking with many scientists who were interested in their research and their devices.

Fitz realised the true motive of their being there. Agent Avery didn't only think that they needed to show their work and confront ideas, he wanted them to understand how much their work might help.

All the people here worked either on theoretical concepts or on something that could counter-effect another mortal weapon.

He and Simmons had a different way of working - they created things that could be used to stop events. He thought about his prototype gun and of her dendrotoxin and his mind started thinking of the ways they could both be implemented in the field.

He thought about the way the DWARFs could be used for forensics and give immediate data analysis during a mission.

Agent Avery had sent them there so that they could clearly see how two scientists could make a difference in a mission.

The seed of doubt that had been hiding in his brain came back up and he wondered about the field assessment again. This wasn't only about him and Simmons being together as partners: it was about him alone. Did he want to do something worthy during his line of work? Simmons had probably thought about this before and was eager to go into the field for this reason as well.

What did he want? Did he want to help people? Perhaps save lives?

He did want to make a difference and he was sure that with Simmons, he'd get to do enormous feats... but that didn't mean that he wasn't blind to the consequences. Going into the field would mean dangers, constant dangers.

But he couldn't let her go on her own, could he? He wouldn't live with the thought of her being out there, maybe risking her life, while he was in the lab...

He had an answer. At last.

Fitz felt resolution and fear invade him but resolution won over. He'd tell her when they had a moment; she'd probably be happy about his decision.

He turned around and noticed how a couple of scientists standing a little away were looking at her, the looks and little smiles.

Something hot boiled in the pit of his stomach...

Feeling a frown make its way on his face, Fitz quickly walked back, grabbing two chalices of wine from a tray carried by a waitress and joined Simmons.

"Here," he said softly, handing her the thin glass, and she looked at him with a smile.

"Thanks," she murmured and took a sip while Dr. Eriog (if he recalled the name correctly) was talking about some arcane biology testing analysis he'd been working on.

Fitz noticed how the man -who was probably old enough to be Simmons' _father_- kept glancing at his partner, eyes travelling up and down her face and body in a way that made Fitz tighten the grip on his chalice.

_That_ was one thing he hated about these conferences.

He and Simmons were always the youngest during these events, something that had been occurring ever since their doctorates at MIT.

He had always noticed that Simmons attracted attention. It wasn't only for her brilliant mind and ideas, but also her charming character and -he didn't dare to say it aloud anymore- her beauty.

And the fact that the number of female scientists was not as great as the males (something that Simmons had always been vocal about), singled her out even more.

She'd been receiving looks from men the whole night.

Fitz was sure that he'd end up with an ulcer by the end of the night if they didn't leave or his face would freeze in a permanent frown.

He was just being protective of his best friend and partner. There was nothing else there (it didn't help that a voice in his head was screaming that he was a liar...)

He checked his watch and saw that it was almost eleven o'clock. He remembered Vittorio mentioning that the sites would be open until midnight.

Fitz took advantage of a moment when Dr. Eriog was talking with a French scientist (whose name he literally forgot after he introduced himself), and he gently nudged Simmons's shoulder. She looked up at him, eyebrow arching in a silent question as she took a sip of wine and leaned closer. He was engulfed by the scent of lavender.

"Would you mind if we left now?" He whispered, leaning down slightly so that he was talking directly into her ear.

-:-

Jemma blinked at him in confusion, ignoring the little tingle that ran down her spine as his breath hit the shell of her ear.

He wanted to leave now? Why?

She thought that he was enjoying himself. She'd seen him talk with some scientists -engineers, she could tell by their words- and seemed to be at ease. Jemma knew that Fitz tended to dislike crowded ensembles like this: he liked smaller things with few, well-known people and possibly less chaos.

But he'd gotten better with conferences; they'd been to so many of them in these years in SHIELD that he knew how to keep himself entertained and who to talk to if she was busy.

She had to admit that she'd been a bit oblivious to him in the last hour; from the moment Dr. Eriog and the other biologists he worked with had approached her and they started talking about the properties of neurotoxins.

It had been a fascinating conversation...

However, she _had_ noticed his barely hidden glares at the scientists -_male scientists_- that approached her, especially towards Dr. Eriog; she had to admit that the man had a rather creepy look, but he'd been civil and she hadn't said anything about it.

She tried to ignore the little voice in her head telling her that her partner was jealous.

Because he wasn't; he was just... _protective_. He was being a good friend and looking out for her.

She wondered if she could say the same to herself whenever the few women in the hall shot an appreciative glance towards Fitz.

That little spark of annoyance... It was protectiveness, right?

And now, Fitz wanted to leave and she wondered if something had bothered him.

"Why?" She asked, stepping away from the other scientists who were engaged in a conversation amongst themselves and turning to him. "Is anything wrong?" Was all this talk about the field getting to him? Was he going to tell her that he wanted to stay in their lab?

"Wha-?" Fitz looked confused and then concerned. Her face was probably showing emotions that she couldn't control. "Simmons, nothing is wrong. Don't worry. I just... Well... The conference is pretty much over and since- Well..." He scratched the back of his neck and she tilted her head in confusion. Why was he so flustered?

"Fitz?"

"I thought that... Well... You'd like to see a bit more of the city," he remarked, glancing at her. "Vittorio told me that some of the sites are open until midnight since it's the week after the anniversary of Rome's foundation." He looked at his watch. "We might make it to Castel Sant'Angelo if we're quick enough."

Jemma stared at him, feeling a wonderful warmth spreading in her chest, making her want to hug her best friend and never let go.

He always did this for her; he always went and surprised her with these little, sweet actions. Like the time when they were sixteen and they'd spent the day out together and he'd told her, at night, that he wanted to celebrate the anniversary of their first meeting.

Or when he brought her things because he saw her looking at them when they were walking around the city.

He cared for her...

And Jemma found herself struggling to keep her hidden emotions buried in her heart.

"Simmons?" Fitz looked at her with concern. "I-I thought you'd like to go...but if you want to stay, it's okay."

_Silly adorable man_, she thought. Did he really think that she was upset?

"I was just... thinking," she replied quickly, trying to shove the burst of tender affection towards him back down in her chest. She smiled at him. "Of course I want to go. We'll have to get our equipment back to our room."

He nodded and went to retrieve the DWARFs case while she quickly excused herself from the other scientists, claiming that she had to go.

They both hurried back to their room and quickly changed (I'm not walking around Rome in this dress and these heels, Fitz, and I doubt you want to stay in that suit either).

Ten minutes later, they were at the hotel's lobby and Fitz walked out and started looking around until he waved.

"Come on," he said, turning to her. "Vittorio agreed to give us a ride to the fortress."

"Really?" Jemma looked at the man, dressed normally and standing by a small, blue car. "Oh, he's going home, isn't he?"

"Yeah... He told me that he finished his shift at eleven o'clock. He actually waited for us; it's a quarter past eleven now."

"Oh, that was really nice of him."

"_Leo, Gemma_!" The Italian said in his jovial voice. "Come on, I'll get you to _Castel Sant'Angelo_."

"Thank you so much," Jemma said as soon as they were inside his car and on the road. The man waved a hand nonchalantly.

"Don't thank me," he replied. "I'm happy that you get to see my city."

Jemma beamed at him and settled back on her seat, glancing out at the window. Her eyes widened when they got to Piazza Venezia.

The square was beautiful in the daylight but right now at night, it was stunning. The monument to Vittorio Emanuele was shining under its lighting and the Colosseum in the far background of the Imperial road was glowing amber.

She heard soft clicks and knew that Fitz was taking pictures and she smiled. They went down a few roads that they'd taken on their way to the hotel from the airport, and then found themselves on the road coasting the river. The whole city looked different at night: the street light had a soft, golden quality in them and made the buildings and roads glow in the dark.

Vittorio stopped in front of a bridge and turned around to look at them with a smile.

"I'll leave you here," he said. "It's the best spot to get one of Rome's best views. And once you're inside _Castel Sant'Angelo_, get up to the rooftop. You can see the Vatican and most of the city."

They both got out of the car after thanking Vittorio profusely, the man had really been so kind and helpful. He smiled at them in a fatherly fashion.

"You'll tell me if you liked Rome tomorrow when I take you to the airport," he said and waved before driving away.

Jemma looked at Fitz who glanced at her with a smile.

"Ready?" He asked and she smiled back before looking at the white bridge in front of her, marble statues of angels decorating its sides, and at the end of it was the majestic fortress of Castel Sant'Angelo, shining in amber under the lights.

"Ready," Jemma breathed, walking with him down the bridge. Halfway through it, she stopped in her tracks, eyes widening in wonder as she looked to her right.

"Fitz," She reached for his wrist, stopping him as he walked. "Look..." She glanced at him and saw his eyes widen too. Smiling, she turned back again.

On their right, next to the bridge and apparently appearing amidst the roads, was a wide street that led to Saint Peter's.

The white church was illuminated by amber lights and shone in the night, emphasising the grandeur of its decorations and the square surrounding it; from their position, Jemma could clearly see the intricate array of marble columns and statues.

There was no way that they could visit it now... but the sight alone was enough to take her breath away.

"It's beautiful," she said softly, turning to look at her partner again. He had started taking more pictures from his phone now and nodded in agreement.

"Yeah..." he said. "I think that seeing it from the rooftop must be worth it. We'd be almost the same height."

"Yeah..." Jemma dropped her hold on his wrist reluctantly, suddenly feeling the need to just hold him and somehow show him how much this was meaning to her.

As they got inside the fortress, Fitz went to get the tickets at the booth while she lingered outside for a moment, taking in the building, it's elaborate stone decorations and the maze of tunnels and staircases that appeared before her.

When she heard approaching footsteps, she turned around and frowned slightly when she saw the downcast look on Fitz's face.

"What?" She asked, getting closer to him.

"Er-well..." He sighed, scratching the back of his head. "It seems that I didn't think about the closing hour. The castle will close at midnight but the inner rooms -the ones with the portraits and frescos- have already been closed. Since it's eleven thirty, they didn't want anyone else to get inside. I managed to get us the tickets but... we can only go up and see the view from the rooftop, nothing more. The guards were quite stern about it. We can't hang around more..." He looked at her with a twisted expression. "Sorry..."

Jemma felt her heart do a funny flop in her chest as he looked at her. She honestly felt the need to hug him, bring him closer to her and...

She was struggling with the rush of feelings that wanted to make her kiss him right there, completely uncaring of the consequences.

Didn't he realise how much he was doing for her? That this, _all of this_, was so much more than she'd ever expected? And that none of this would be happening if he hadn't taken the situation in his hands and brought her here?

Jemma felt the same rush of confused emotions that had invaded her after the New Year SHIELD event a couple of months ago, when they'd thrown snowballs at each other playfully and had been close to each other and she'd wanted to step forward and kiss him, giving in to the feelings that she'd been wrestling with for years.

His blue eyes bore into hers and she swallowed dryly, trying to clear her head and not do something that she might regret despite it's wonderful suggestiveness.

This was Fitz: her best friend. Her wonderfully caring, attentive, protective and clueless best friend.

Jemma smiled broadly and reached for his wrist again, her fingers rubbing his skin softly.

"_Fitz_," she said, looking at him warmly. "I can't even thank you enough for bringing me here. I didn't even think that I could see this place or be here tonight; it's all more than I ever expected. Don't you try to apologize while you're giving me all of this."

"Really?" He looked at her with an odd expression, blue eyes shining under the amber lights in a way that made her heart flutter in her chest. She nodded and he shot her a lopsided smile that had her emotions in a jumble again.

She nodded and tugged him forward, following the signs to the top.

-:-

They walked up a staircase that winded up one of the turrets and into the fortress' first landing where they were greeted by a spectacular view of the city by night. Fitz noticed that Castel Sant'Angelo was surrounded by a large garden and a gravelly road that once must have been the castle's grounds.

It took them a good ten minutes to get to the rooftop and they also managed to get a glimpse of the rooms where the popes would live while hiding: they could see frescoed ceilings and richly decorated doors and corridors. It was a pity that they could not see them closer...

The rooftop was a wide circular open space. Above them, highlighted by white lights, was an enormous bronze statue that -he remembered Simmons reading about it- represented the archangel Michael.

The statue brandishing a sword was majestic but when he turned around, nothing prepared him for the close-view of Saint Peter's and the city of Rome spread out in front of them.

It was truly stunning.

The golden-amber lighting made the building glow under the dark sky. He turned to glance at Simmons who was beaming and just drinking in the view, eyes shining and the same colour as the structure in front of them.

Fitz couldn't deny that he wouldn't mind seeing that awed, happy look on her face more; he wouldn't mind seeing her eyes shine with an enthusiasm that was similar and yet completely different to the one she displayed in the lab.

He wouldn't mind even though a part of him was scared...because she'd be happy. That was what mattered, right? Best friends wanted the best for each other; they overcame their own fears.

He ignored the little voice in his head that told him that he was lying... He didn't want to leave her: he _couldn't_ stand the thought of them being apart.

They were both standing close to the edge of the roof, hands on the stone bricks and Simmons was leaning on the bannister, smiling as she looked around.

They were high enough to feel the slight chill of the night breeze and Fitz saw her shivering slightly. In their haste to get ready soon, they'd slipped into jeans, shirts and jumpers but she clearly wasn't dressed warmly enough.

Honestly, why even bother to buy a jumper if it wasn't warm? He smiled to himself as he thought of all the times she'd ask to borrow one of his heavier jumpers when she was cold.

Without thinking too much and repeating the mantra that friends did this, he stepped behind her, shielding her from the breeze as he put his hands next to hers on the bannister, her lithe body trapped between him and the edge.

She turned to him and smiled, eyes soft and warm.

"Thank you," she whispered and he just nodded, smiling back.

They stayed there in silence for a few moments when he decided that he should inform her of his decision. Being away from their lab and SHIELD made him feel more at ease...

He always had trouble getting the right words out; even with her, who he knew better than anyone else and that knew him better than anyone.

And he'd never been good being affectionate. It had been easier when they were younger -before SHIELD- because there were less confused feelings.

Or better, there were but they didn't feel so restricted by them.

Fitz leaned forward ever so slightly and his chin rested on an angle of her left shoulder. He took a small breath, taking in her soft scent of lavender. The familiarity of it made him smile.

He was making the right decision.

"I'll take the field assessment exam with you."

-:-

Jemma's heart had started beating oddly the moment she felt him lean against her.

She was grateful for the warmth that he was providing but the small additional weight on her shoulder and his presence all around her were... distracting.

They'd touched multiple times -She tried not to think of moments when their touches had been less friendly and just _more_- and brushed against each other at home, at work and in hundreds of other occasions, but having him close like that just brought back memories. It made her think of moments when things were... easier.

When their feelings were not something to be worried about...

Fitz's soft whisper reached her ear amidst the breeze and her mind froze while her heart rate just rose. She turned around completely, twisting in his loose hold and finding herself centimeters away from his face. Her face broke into an impossibly happy smile as she saw that he wasn't lying or doing something that he didn't want to.

His eyes were calm, brilliantly blue as always and giving her a soft look that she'd grown accustomed to after all these years.

"Yeah?" She asked, trying to hide the hopefulness that seeped into her voice.

"Yeah," he replied and smiled crookedly. "Beware though: I fully expect to be mind-blown by the wonders we'll see when we'll be out in the field."

Her mind registered his teasing tone and she knew that she should retort but her emotions took over before she could think of anything.

She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. She heard Fitz gasp slightly in surprise, staggering to keep his balance, but she didn't allow herself to feel self-conscious or embarrassed.

They were still going to do this together.

Together as always.

Jemma laughed softly and buried her face in the crook of his neck, taking in the scent of mint, solder and the citrusy hint of his cologne.

She didn't want to go _anywhere_ without him.

When she stepped back, Fitz was looking at her oddly, a slight blush colouring his cheeks. Jemma had to stop the rush of blood on her own face as she realised that they were basically hugging in public as though it was the most normal of things.

There was a part of her that wondered how that would feel like, being affectionate with each other as more than friends, without being scared of rules, separations or of ruining the most important relationship in her life.

She disentangled her arms from his neck and bit her lip, trying to ignore the influx of emotions in her chest and smiled.

"It will be okay," she said softly. He looked at her and smiled back.

They stepped back from each other but stayed close, shoulders brushing as they talked softly as they admired the view. She recalled all the little details about the city that her grandfather had told her and she told them to Fitz, glad that he was eager to know just as much as she was.

They heard the guards calling out to clear the rooftop because they had to close the site. Fitz pulled out his phone and shot her a meaningful glance. Jemma knew that he wanted to take a picture of her – he wanted her to have a memory of this moment- but she didn't want to leave him out.

She was here, right now, thanks to him.

She pulled him closer to her, arms entwined and quickly asked a girl standing next to them to take a picture. Jemma heard him sigh but when she turned to glance at him, he was smiling slightly.

When she looked at the picture as they walked back down, she smiled.

They were both grinning at the camera with Saint Peter's glowing behind them in the darkness.

"We should do this whenever we see some site," she remarked, handing the phone back to Fitz.

"What? Take a picture?" He asked, tapping the screen and opening the Maps app as they walked out of the castle's entrance.

"Yeah, why not? Us around the world."

He looked up and stared at her. She felt a warm twist in her chest as he grinned.

"Yeah," He nodded. "Why not?"

Jemma was sure that her face would hurt in the morning for how much she was smiling. When they got to the bridge again, Fitz started studying the map while she looked around.

It was a bit past midnight and they had to find a way to get back to their hotel. Their flight was early tomorrow morning at eight o'clock and they had to get their suitcases packed again.

Or they could still do something out...

"Fitz?"

"Hmm..?" He nodded absentmindedly, fingers tapping on screen. "I'm trying to see if there's a taxi stop around here..."

"What if we don't go back now?"

He looked up abruptly, a puzzled look on his face.

"What?"

Jemma approached him, smiling bashfully.

"How much would I be taking advantage of your kindness if I asked you to... you know, stroll around a bit? See something else before going back?"

He stared at her with an amused smile.

"I wouldn't say take advantage really..." He remarked. "I actually dragged you out here now."

_You did it for me_, she thought fondly but didn't voice it loudly. She already felt a little too tender inside: saying anything now would just scramble her mind and resolve.

"Right then... Then I'll just suggest to see the fountain of Trevi; we cannot leave without seeing that." She grinned at him. "And if we're feeling knackered in the morning, keep in mind that we have an eight hour flight ahead - plenty of time to sleep."

"Hmm, alright..." He tapped on his phone again and spent a few moments in silence, studying the map. Jemma hovered close to him and peeked onto the screen, trying to see something.

She vaguely remembered the map as she looked at it that morning on the plane and recalled that getting to the two sites wasn't a long walk.

"It's not far," Fitz stated, looking up. "We should go on the other side of the bridge, down on the left until we get to... Piazza Venezia and then go left again. Remember that busy street full of shops we saw this afternoon?" She nodded. "It's one of the main shopping streets; halfway through it, there's the road that leads to the Spanish Steps and from there, we can get to the fountain." He tilted his head towards the bridge and she saw the spark of enthusiasm on his face that clearly mirrored hers.

"Shall we?"

-:-

Simmons smiled eagerly and nodded, looping her arm around his own as they walked down the bridge with the angel statues.

It was a short walk to the main square and they chattered idly about the things they had seen during the day and the conference.

Now that she knew that he was ready to take the field examination, Simmons was excitedly talking about the way they could use their work in the field and of the possible new devices and prototypes they could test.

They spent a good portion of the talk discussing the gun prototype he was working on that should work with non-lethal bullets filled with the dendrotoxin she was developing.

It was something new for both of them; they'd never truly developed combat weapons until now, but this gun was something they both invested their time.

Although, there were little setbacks...

"We're not calling it _Night-Night_ gun!"

"It's a perfect name!"

_That_ argument was something that they carried on until they reached Piazza Venezia. They did a quick tour of the square by night and he took another couple of pictures, extremely glad that he'd personally upgraded the phone with a better camera and additional memory sd.

Simmons' beaming face was making all of this worth it...

They took the now-empty street of Via del Corso and walked on the sidewalk, surprised to see people still strolling around.

"We're not the only ones that like sightseeing during the night," Simmons commented softly as they turned down a small street that, according to the map, took them to the Spanish steps.

Fitz nodded, glancing at the people walking around them and noticed that they were mainly little groups: mostly teenagers, friends and... couples.

His eyes followed a man and a woman walking side by side, holding hands as they disappeared down a road and wondered what strangers might think of them.

He and Simmons were walking around at night with looped arms, clearly tourists in this city and... looking close.

The whole Sci-Ops facility probably thought that they were a couple at the beginning; their SO had explicitly asked at one point and they had denied any relationship or fraternization.

It had taken them dating other people to make the little rumour mill stop.

But it had been months since either had seen another person now and it was taking a bit of a toll on him; his emotions were running high and were getting hard to restrain.

He remembered Emily Ashton's words.

"_I saw the way you look at her, the way you just seem to hang on to every word she says..."_

He tried to be careful now and to school his features whenever he felt that twist in his chest and warm wave of affection towards her. It was something that occurred frequently when he let his guard down around her, when she did something that just-

"Oh, look Fitz! This must be the street with the world-famous stylists' boutiques," She grinned at him. "We're almost at the Spanish Steps."

"You mean the shops where my full pay check would allow me to buy a wallet at most?" He asked and she laughed.

"Oh, Fitz..."

His heart did an odd movement in his chest.

The mantra 'Best friend, best friend...' went on again and he wondered for how long he would go on deluding himself.

Simmons turned to him with a bright smile and whatever dark emotion he had melted away.

As long as they were together like this, he'd be alright.

His feelings would just wait.

-:-

Something flashed in his eyes, some emotion that she couldn't define and that made her wonder for a moment, but then Fitz smiled at her and her heart twisted in her chest (something that occurred frequently around him), and she walked on with him.

The Spanish Steps were a suggestive staircase, decorated by flowers and glinting under the streetlights. They led up to a white church, and on the right there was a small house with plaque stating that Poet John Keats had lived there until his early death. The square was a mingle of styles and buildings: old eighteenth century houses stood next to sleek, glass boutiques and fast foods.

Jemma wondered how so many historical idiosyncrasies could be side by side...

They admired the square a bit, looking at the boat shaped fountain in the middle and Fitz took pictures; she had the fleeting feeling that he'd taken some shots of her wandering around too, judging by the little smile he shot her whenever she looked at him.

They took a picture together by the Steps and since there wasn't anyone to ask, Fitz had to do the shot on his own while she settled close to him, back against his chest.

He was warm, as usual, and his scent enveloped her for a moment, making her heart flutter again.

They soon left the square and took the road that had to lead them to the fountain of Trevi.

As they walked with Fitz studying the map , Jemma caught an elderly couple -they had to be tourists judging by the clothing- glance at them and smile.

It did something to her.

People around them just... speculated about them. Their families and co-workers thought they were a couple.

Strangers probably assumed the same.

It wasn't so easy to define their relationship.

It was... complicated.

It was probably the reason that didn't allow either of them to start a relationship that could last more than a few months.

As she followed Fitz, Jemma recalled her ex-boyfriend's words. Erik Eisen had been surprisingly friendly and honest when he talked to her at dinner and said that they should break up.

"_I really like you, Jemma... but I also know that I'm can't win your heart; not when it already belongs to someone else. And you might not know it now, or you're just denying it to yourself, but I can't do that..."_

Erik had meant Fitz; he had not-so-subtly pointed out that her confused feelings for her best friend were not hidden as she thought.

Jemma hadn't even tried to retort or justify herself. She respected Erik a lot as a scientist and as a friend; she couldn't lie and tell him that he wasn't implying something that she was aware off. She just agreed to break up and was sad about it for a while. Thankfully, they were still friends.

She often wondered in these months after the break-up if she could have fallen in love with Erik at some point; if her confused feelings for Fitz had settled to being only friendship, would she have tried with Erik?

She really didn't have an answer. She had been questioning her emotions towards her best friend for years now... and they didn't seem to want to settle anywhere.

"Here we are!"

Jemma was taken out of her musings by Fitz's exclamation. They had been working down a small alley and suddenly, they were in the middle of another square where a large, majestic fountain occupied most of its surface.

Jemma beamed. The Fountain of Trevi.

"Come on," she said, tugging Fitz's wrist again. He laughed slightly and followed her.

The fountain was beautiful, a large ensemble of marble statues and waterfalls surrounded by a vast basin of clear, flowing water. The basin was internally lit and it made the water shine in a multitude of colours and shadows.

On the floor of the pool was a layer of coins that glinted underwater.

"We have to toss a coin inside," she remarked and Fitz turned to her, looking away from his phone while he took a picture.

"What?" He asked in confusion. "What is it? A wishing well?"

"It's a tradition. You have to toss a coin into the fountain with your back to it: if it lands inside, it means that you will come back to see the city."

Fitz looked at her and she smiled eagerly. He grinned and shoved his hands in his trousers' pockets searching for his wallet.

"Do we have to use some specific coin? I've pounds, dollars _and_ euros in here..." He said rummaging in his wallet. Jemma snorted.

"Just pick a coin, you prat," she teased, taking a coin from her purse. He rolled his eyes good naturedly and took one too.

They stood close to each other, shoulder to shoulder and coins in their palms. Jemma smiled when she saw that they had both picked a pound each.

"Ready?" She asked, glancing at him.

"Ready," he said with a nod and they tossed their coins in unison. They swirled around in sync and watched the little metal disks do an arch in the air and land, together, in the centre of the pool.

They shared a glance and smiled.

"So, it seems that we will come back again," she stated with a teasing look. It was a ridiculous tradition, really, but it felt nice to think that something would lead them back here again in the future.

Fitz looked at her and he had that odd look again. Her heart thought that it would be the perfect moment to flip in her chest and make her light headed.

"We will," he said with a smile. There was a hint of certainty in his voice that made her blink. Was he... promising her that they would come to Rome together again?

"Yeah?" She asked, confusion and a bit of incredulity lacing her tone. He grinned at her.

"Yeah."

Jemma smiled, feeling a wonderful rush of warmth in her chest. Without bothering to think too much, she moved forward and brushed a kiss against his cheek, one hand curling around his jaw.

She felt Fitz tense for a second and then look at her in surprise, blushing slightly.

"Simmons?" His tone was embarrassed and bewildered.

"Thank you," she replied, stepping back down.

"Wha-?"

"For everything you did today. For this impromptu night trip around the city," She looked at him and felt the feelings brimming in her chest. "For-" _Being you. For being my best friend. For being the person that cares for me the most._ "-everything."

Fitz scratched the back of his head, not quite meeting her eyes.

"It was nothing," he said softly and she smiled.

"No, it was everything."

-:-

They walked back to the hotel, realising that it would take them less time than trying to find a taxi. By the time they had packed their suitcases, equipment and changed for the night, it was almost three in the morning.

"When do we have to wake up?" Fitz asked tiredly in the darkness, lying on his bed.

"I set the alarm at six o'clock," Simmons replied drowsily from her bed. "If we're quick enough we should be at the airport at most by half past seven. The flight leave at half past eight."

"So we have a _grand_ three hours of sleep?"

"Yes, plus the eight hours on the plane."

"_Right_... Don't you dare complain that I'm grumpy tonight. I'll be jet-lagged and dead on my feet."

"You're always grumpy after a flight. I'm sort of used to that."

"Wha-?!" He spluttered, too tired to be properly indignant. "That's not true!"

She didn't reply and he thought that she must have fallen asleep; then he heard a soft, muffled chuckle and he smiled in the dark.

"Goodnight, Simmons."

"Goodnight, Fitz."

The trip back to the airport was uneventful. They were both exhausted, but when Vittorio greeted them and asked how the sightseeing had gone, Simmons perked up and gushed over the monuments and the beauty of the city and Fitz couldn't help but be drawn on by her enthusiasm.

When they arrived at the airport of Fiumicino, they both thanked Vittorio for his kindness and the older man just waved their words away with a hand, smiling.

"It's been a pleasure to help a couple see Rome," he replied good naturedly.

Fitz froze at his words and he felt Simmons do the same. They stared at the man and then glanced at each other before blushing furiously and stammering together.

"We're not-"

"We're friends. Just-"

"Nothing else-"

"I think you misunderstood-"

Vittorio laughed and grinned at them.

"Really?" He asked with a look that was a bit too knowing for Fitz's tastes. Before either could reply, he handed them their suitcases and smiled again, kindly.

"Have a safe trip, _Leo e Gemma_."

Still red in the face, they took their luggage and waved goodbye as they walked into the airport.

-:-

They managed to get through the check-in and security controls without a glitch and when they sat on the plane, Fitz sighed.

"God, I feel like I've pulled a nighter at the lab," he groaned. Jemma nudged his shoulder, making him turn to her.

"Then sleep a bit," she remarked softly. "I'll wake you when they serve breakfast."

"What about you?" He asked and she smiled at the hint of concern in his voice.

"In a bit," She held out her hand. "Can I have your phone? I'd like to see the pictures."

He nodded and handed it to her without blinking, and then curled slightly on his seat so that he was a bit more comfortable but was also looking at the screen with her.

The camera roll started from the last picture and it was one that they had taken by the fountain of Trevi. Jemma smiled as she took in their beaming faces in front of the white marbled fountain.

She kept scrolling slowly, taking in images and inwardly liking that they were always smiling together in every shot (and she had been right: Fitz had taken a few pictures of her, raptly looking at the monuments...).

"We'll come back again," Fitz said softly and she turned in surprise, finding him looking at her with almost closed, sleepy eyes.

"I know," she said.

"I promise." She smiled.

"I _know_," She knew him well enough to know when he made up his mind on something.

She looked at all the photos and put his phone in her bag before settling back in her seat. The images filled her mind as she dozed off, a little bit later, against Fitz's shoulder.

-:-

They were briefed by Agent Avery about the conference when they got to the lab the next day. Then, they announced that they'd both be taking the field assessment. Their SO looked mildly amused and not surprised at all.

Jemma wondered if their going to the conference wasn't just a ruse to show them how they could be actively useful in the field.

They had their examination scheduled two weeks later, and they studied and prepared for it in their spare time, after work.

They _failed_.

Jemma didn't expect to pass with flying colours -the physical assessment part _had _been extraordinarily hard- but she didn't think that they'd both fail. Even Fitz, despite his initial lack of interest, was surprised by the results.

"We'll try again," he told her at home. "There will be another moment to take the exam again."

She had nodded, trying not to feel too dejected about it.

"We'll have to better prepare," she remarked. "We could ask Agent Avery to help."

They didn't know that their failure wasn't in their skills. Their simulated missions had shown their talents and abilities: Simmons had exceptional tracking abilities and Fitz was an excellent marksman. They weren't great in combat situations but a good training could help them in that.

They both used their knowledge in biochemistry and engineering when they found themselves in tight situations and they worked seamlessly together.

But the latter was also their greatest weakness.

The examiners and their SO noticed how they shielded each other from danger, even during a simulated attack. They were both more concerned about each other than about their own self: they did it without _even_ realising it. The Head examiner left a secreted note on the examination file:

_Codependent relationship that could lead to a hindrance during missions: unsuitable for field Missions._

That note was what caught Agent Melinda May's eyes when she reviewed FitzSimmons' files. It was the primary reason, besides their brilliance, that led Agent Phil Coulson to recruit them for his Team months later.

* * *

><p>I hope you guys like this. Please, leave a review... :)<p> 


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